Monday, January 19, 2009

Disappearing Brownies

These are quite possibly the best fudge brownies I've ever made. They have this wonderful crispy top that adds an unexpected crunch to this otherwise very fudgy treat!I do still love the old brownie recipe that I've used for years but something about not having to chop up chocolate (I always thought that was such a PITA) is really refreshing!

Hubby's aunt actually gave me the recipe - she found it in one of those in-flight magazines on her plane trip over Christmas (lol - of all places to find a new favourite recipe!) Unfortunately, I never found out which airline the magazine was from so that's the best I can do for a reference. Given that, I probably shouldn't be blogging these but they were so fantastic, I have to share them! ;)

These got the name since we made a pan and they disappeared within 30 minutes! I don't think the poor things had time to cool completely! :) Needless to say, we made another batch the next day (they are really easy to make). There was a joke going around that if you leave the clean, empty brownie pan out on the counter, more brownies magically appear overnight. Yeah, don't we wish! :)

I haven't tried this yet (believe me, it's on the to-bake list), but I think these would be really easy to convert to a vegan brownie recipe. As far as I can tell, all you'd have to do is to change the butter into 4 cups of non-hydrogenated vegan spread (Earth Balance is my fave) and the eggs to any egg substitute (4 eggs worth). Since they are bars, the egg subs should be pretty easy - you could use ground flax and water, Ener-G egg replacer and water, smushed up silken tofu, applesauce, bananas, or (one I've never tried but am rather intrigued by) vinegar and baking soda.

No photo, sorry! Darn things disappeared too fast! But, hey, that's just another excuse for me to make these again (and to try some of the add-ins I listed below!) :)

Ooh, how yummy would these be if you subbed in pure peppermint extract for the vanilla and then crushed up some peppermint candies and added those in? :) I also have to try this base for amaretto brownies.

Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees1. Grease a 9-inch by 9-inch baking pan. I like to rub the butter wrappers on the pan so nothing is wasted. Dust the buttered pan with a little flour.

2. Whisk the sugar and melted butter together in a large bowl. Add in the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla extract.

3. In a separate bowl, blend together the flour, baking powder, cocoa, and salt. Add this mixture to the sugar and butter mixture and stir just until blended (do not overmix).

4. Spread the brownie mixture into the prepared pan. Bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Reference:Oops.. see note above. Thank you airline magazine! And DH's aunt! :) I have a feeling it may have been United... or US Airways (DH might know so I may be back to update this)The ideas for adding in all the nuts, chips, etc., subbing in the peppermint, and making these vegan were my own. At least nobody can sue me for that part! ;) Thank you to Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and her book The Joy of Vegan Baking for the baking soda and vinegar egg substitute idea.

An award!

Millenium Development Goals - End Hunger (among other nasties)

About Me

Hello! I'm a teacher in San Diego who recently went back to being a vegetarian (my DH continues to eat meat so you will find some meaty stuff on here!)
Most of my recipes come from cookbooks, magazines, and friends. Sometimes I'll make something up but I'm usually not that good! ;)
Enjoy!

General Notes

*Organics - I try my best to use organics whenever possible (I always use organic dairy and vegetarian-fed, cage-free, organic eggs). They are a bit more expensive but I figure it's worth it (can't be any more expensive than medical care later in life, right?)If you can't get organic everything, a good rule of thumb is to follow the "Dirty Dozen" (http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-214) or to say "if I'm going to eat the skin, I should buy an organic version of this food."

*Vegan - Everything in the blog is suitable for ovo-lacto vegetarians. Oftentimes, I'll make vegan food or convert a recipe to make it vegan (I am head over heels in love with vegan baking!)The vegan items contain no dairy, eggs, honey, or other animal products. Sometimes I'll say you can use cow's milk or cheese but will try to remember to add a note about this making the recipe non-vegan.Vegan food is really yummy and (generally) very low in fat and cholesterol. Give it a try!

*Low-Fat - These recipes contain 10g or less total fat. This is based on the nutrition facts provided in the original recipe combined with my own guesswork if I've made any changes. I'm not perfect; please do not hold my labels against me! ;)

*Soy - I prefer not to use soy if I can help it. I keep hearing opposite opinions on it ("It's nature's perfect protein!" vs. "It imitates estrogen") and I'm not sure who to believe! :/Besides, I prefer whole, natural ingredients not something that has been processed into a strangely-textured block of white stuff.If I'm in vegan baking goddess mode, I'll use almond milk rather than soy milk. For tofu, I'll generally sub a mushroom, beans, or grains.